Ignition timer



Patented Jan. l2, 1932 [UNITED ASTATESl PArEN-'r OFI-"Ican WILLIAM A. CHBYST, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOB T0 DELCO-REMY CORPORATION, OF

ANDERSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE IGNITION 'rnimn Application led YFebruary 15, 1929. Serial No. 340,114.

. vvention to provide a simple, durable and compact structure for controlling the timing yof the ignition in response to variations in suction produced by the engine, and this aim of the invention is accomplished by providing an ignition timer, comprising afcam operated circuit interrupter, a drive shaft, a driven shaft operatively connected with the cam, and means responsive to engine suction for connecting the two shafts and for varying the angular relation between them, said suction responsive means comprising a. piston which rotates with the shafts and slides in a vcylinder concentric with the shafts and communicating with the intake of the engine.

VA further object of the present invention is to provide an ignition timer having in ad-I dition to the features mentioned in the foregoing paragraph.' a mechanism for control; ling the timing of the ignition in response to engine speed. f Further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent from the following description, vreference being had to fthe accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of embodiment vention is clearlyo7 shown.

In the drawings: i Fig. l is, in part, a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view on line l-l of Fig. 2, of an ignition apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention, and in part a` diagrammatic illustration of the manner of connecting the suction responsive device of the ignition timer with the engine intake.

Fig. 2 is a plan* view ofthe circuit interru ter. l

ign-3 is a sectional view on'the line 3 3 of the present in-l of Fig. l.

Figs. 4 and 5 are plan and side views, respectively, of the piston, which is included in the suction responsive device.

Figs. 6 and 7- areplan and Side views, re.

spectively, of ,the driven shaft which is connectedby the piston with the drive shaft.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1. l

Referring to the drawings, the ignition unit comprises a housing 20, which provides a bearing 21 for a drive shaft 22, having a journal portion'23 for supporting a driven shaft 24, which is operatively connected by centrifugal device 25 to be described later, with a circuit interrupter operating cam 26. The circuit interrupter comprises al pair-of cooperating contacts 30 and 31 attached respectively .to a breaker lever 32 and contact bracket 33. The lever 32 is pivoted upon a stud', 34 attached to the interrupter supporting plate 35, and is insulated therefrom. Thek I plate 35 is attached to the housing 20 by screws 36. The bracket 33 is supported upon the plate 35 and is pivotally connected with the stud 34 in Aorder to adjust the interrupter relative to the cam 26. The lever 32 carries a rubbing block 37 which cooperates with cam 26 in order to effect the separation of the contact 30 from the contact 31. A terminal bracket 40 which is insulatingly supported by the breaker plate 35, is electrically (connected with a terminal screw 41 insulatingly supported by housing 20, and'is electrically connected with the leverf32 by leaf spring conductor 42 which is biased so as to urge the breaker lever 32 toward the cam 26. The spring 42 isattached to an ear 43 integral with the terminal plate 40, and is connected with a conductor 44 which is connected with one foil of a condenser which is contained within the condenser case 45. The other foil is grounded on the case which is attached to a bracket .46 secured by a screw 4 7 to the plate 35. The rubbing block 37 is adjusted relative to the cam 26 by moving thecontact bracket 33 around the stud 34. This is ac complished by turning a screw driver slotted disk 50, which occupies a'slot 51 in the bracket ally connected withthe plate 35. The bracket 33 is clamped in the desired position of adj ustment by a screw 53 which extends through an arcuate slot 54 in the bracket 33 and threadedly engages the plate 35.

The cam 26 supports a distributor rotor block 60 carrying a center contact button 61 engaging a center contact 62 in a metal cable receiving socket 63 embedded in a center sleeve 64 integral with the distributor head 65 which is supported by the housing 20 and is connected therewith by the usual spring clips not shown. The rotor button 61 is connected by a spring conductor 66 with a distributing segment 67 which rotates past a plurality of distributor posts 68 arranged in a circular row and each integral with a metal cable receiving socket 69 embedded in a sleeve 70 integral with the head 65.

The centrifugal mechanism 25 will now be d-escribed. This mechanism comprises a weight plate attached to the knurled portion 24a of the driven shaft 24, and rotatable therewith. The plate 80 carries weight pivot studs 8-1 about which weights 82 are rotatable. Each weight 82 has a lever arm 83 cooperating with a lever arm 84 provided by a plate 85lwhich is attached to the lower end of a tubular shaft 86 which provides the cam 26 and a support for the distributor rotor block 60. Motion of the weights outwardly due to centrifugal force'is resisted by springs 87 each of which is attached to a weight pivot stud 81 and to a spring stud 88 provided on each arm 84 of the plate 85. The centrifugal mechanism is designed fora circuit interrupter in which the cam 86 normally rotates clockwise as viewed in Fig. 1. As, the weights move away from the shaft due to centrifugal force the plate 85 will move clockwise and hence the cam 26 in order to advance the timing of the ignition spark. As the speed of the shaft 22 decreases the springs 87 will cause the weights 82 to bel moved inwardly and the cam 26 to be rotated counterclockwise relative to the shaft 24 in order to retard the timing of the ignition spark.

The suction responsive device for connecting the drive shaft 22 with the driven shaft 24 includes a piston 90 which slides endwise in a cylinder 91 provided by a tubular portion integral with the housing 20, and located concentric with the shafts 22 and 24. The piston is urged upwardly by a spring 92 which surrounds shaft 22 and bears at its lower end against a washer 93 which is swedged into ashallow annular groove 94 in the shaft 22. The washer 93 provides an end bearing for the shaft 22 and rests upon a machine surface 94a' provided at the end of the shaft journal bearing 21. A short sleeve 95 spaces the lower end of the spring of the shaft 22. The upper end of the spring 92 bears against a spring retainer 96, a leather packing washer 97, and presses these parts against a metal plate 98 secured-by screws 99 to the lowerend of piston90. The leather Washer 97 Iits closely around the shaft 22 and cooperates with the piston 90 in order to p-rovide a suction chamberM/lOO within the cylinmalienne der 91. rllhe chamber 100 is connected with the engine intake 101 by a passage 102 provided in the housing 20, an elbow 108, a pipe 104,

Aand a passage 105 leading into the main mir;-

ture passage 106 of a carburetor 107 and located below the buttcrliy throttle valve 108 when in engine idling position. rlhe valve 108 is operated in the usual manner by a throttle shaft 109 operated by a lever 110 connected by link 111 with member within the reach of the driver. @bviously, increase in suction in the chamber 100 will cause the piston 90 to move down wardly and decrease of suction will permit the piston 90 to move upwardly. rlhe longian operating P tudinal movement of the piston produces relative rotary motion between the drive shaft 22 and the driven shaft 24 due to the fact that the piston is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed longitudinal slots which receive a pair of lugs 121 extending from the driven shaft 24, and to the fact that the piston is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed oblique slots 122, which receive lugs 128 extending from the shaft 22, the lugs 123 being provided by theV ends of a pin extending through the shaft 22.

When the engine is idling, the butterfly valve 108 will'close the suction chamber 100 from communication from the engine intake 101 so that the spring 92 will maintain the piston 90 in an upwardposition and so that the ignition spark will be relatively retarded. Under Apart load conditions when the throttle 108 is partly open, the suction in the intake 101 and hence in the suction chamber 100 will increase, thereby causing the piston 90 to move downwardly. As the piston moves downwardly it will rotate relative to the shaft 22 in a clockwise direction as viewed from above, thereby causing the driven shaft 24 and hence the cam 26 to rotate clockwise in order to advance the timing of the ignition spark.

Likewise when the engine load is increased requiring the throttle 108 to be opened wider the suction in the intake 101 will decrease and hence in the suction chamber 100. A decrease in engine suction will be accompanied by an upward movement ofthe piston 90 due tothe action of the spring 92, thereby causing the piston, 90 to rotate counterclockwise relative to the shaft 22 and causing the driven shaft 24 and the cam 26 to rotate counterclockwise relative to the shaft 22, in order that the timing of the ignition may be retarded.

The ignition apparatus may be readily aslli sembled and disassembled. It comprises l chiefly three sub-assemblies namely, the housing 20, shaft 22 andthe suction responsive device including the cylinder 91, piston 90 and spring 92; a sub-assembly including the cam 26, centrifugal mechanism 25 and driven shaft 24; and a sub-assembly includhousing 20 and is attached by the screws 36.-

Then the distributorrotor block is mounted upon the cam carrying shaft 86'and the`Y `distributor'head is attached to thehousing While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, consti-- tutes a preferred form, itis to be lunderstood that other forms might be adopted, all coin- `ing Within thel scope of the claims which folow. y

What is claimed is as followsz' 1. Ignition apparatus forinternal combustion engines comprising, in combination, an

interrupter, a cam for operating the interrupter, a drive shaft, a driven shaft; means operatively connecting the driven shaft with the cam, and means for connecting the shafts and responsive to engine suction for varying the angular relation between them, said means comprising an endwise Imovable piston rotatable with lthe shafts, a stationaryv cylinder concentric with said shafts and communicating with the engine intake, and means operatively connecting the piston with both the driving and driven shafts, one of said connections being such that endwise movement of the piston produces relative rotary movement betweeny the shafts.

2. Ignition apparatus according to claim 1 in Which the shafts are each provided with a lug and the piston is provided with grooves respectively receiving the lugs, at least one of the groves being oblique to the axis of the shafts.

3. Ignition apparatus according to claim 1 in which the shafts are each provided with pairs ofdia'metrically opposite lugs and the piston is provided with a pair of longitudinal grooves receiving one pair of lugs, and a pair of oblique grooves receiving the other pair of lugs.

4. Ignition apparatus accordingI to claim 1 in which the piston is a tubular member surrounding the drive shaft, and in which ak packing Washer which closely fits around the drive shaft is pressed by a spring against one end of the piston, said spring being located within the cylinder and functioning to urge thepiston in one direction endwise lof the cylinder.

5. Ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines comprising, in combination, an interrupter, a cam for operating the interrupter, a drive shaft, a driven shaft operatively connected with the cam, and means for connecting the shafts and including a member surrounding the shafts and rotatable with said shafts and having grooves receiving respectively lugs L' extending from the shafts, at least one of the grooves being oblique'to the axes of the shafts, and engine suction responsive means for moving the member longitudinally of the shafts.

6. Ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines comprising, in combination, aninterrupter, a cam for operating the interrupter, a drive shaft, a driven shaft operatively connected with the cam, and means for connecting the shafts including a tubular member movablel rotatably with and longitudinally along the shafts, means for connecting thetubular member with the shaftsV so that movement of said member along the shafts is accompanied by relative rotary movement between the shafts, a spring for -moving the lmember in one direction, a collar on the shaft directly receiving one end of the spring'and providing a shaft end-bearing, and engine suction responsive means for moving the member in the opposite direction.

Ignition apparatus for an internal combustion enginecomprising, in combination, a housing presenting-axially aligned bearing and cylinder portions; a circuit interrupter; a cam for operating said interrupter, a drive shaft journalled in the bearing portion of the housing and extending into and through the cylindrical portion thereof; a driven shaft v rotatably supported bythe drive shaft means operatively connecting the cam with hthe driven shaft; a rotatable and longitudinally movable piston within the cylinder portion of the housing, fitting slidably upon the drive shaft; means provided on the two shafts and engaging the piston to rotate it whereby operatively to connect the two' shafts so that they will rotate together; said means producing relative rotary' motion between ,the two shafts in response to movements of the piston longitudinally of said shafts; and engine suction responsive means for moving said piston. v

8. Ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine-cbrnprising,` in combination, a housing presenting axially alignedy bearing and cylinder portions; a circuit interrupter; a cam for operating said interrupter; a drive shaft journalled in they bearing portion of the housing and extending into and through the cylindrical portion thereof; a driven shaft rotatably supported by the drive shaft: means operatively connecting the cam with the driven shaft a rotatable piston Within" the cylinder portion of the housing, fitting slidably upon the'drive shaft, said piston providing a rotating coupling connecting the two shaft-s causing their rotation as a unit when the piston is immovable longitudinally, longitudinal movement of the piston retienen shafts; and engine suction responsive means tor moving tbe piston longitudinally of said shafts.

9. ln an ignition apparatus Jfor internal Combustion engines, the Combination With a cylinder member having a piston member therein, one ot said members being rotatable and longitudinally movable relative to tbe other; of a drive shaft; a driven shaft; means operatively connecting the drive shalt-t vlitli the rotatable member so that said member is rotated by said shaft; means connect ing the rotatable member With the driven sliaitt so that the said shaft is'rotated by said membera said means being adapted to rotate the driven shalt relative to the drive shaft in response to longitudinal movement ot the rotatable member; and engine suction responsive means `tor moving said rotatable member longitudinally.,

l0. ln an ignition apparatus :tor internal combustion engines.y the-combination with cylinder member having a piston member therein, one ot said members being rotatable and longitudinally movable relative to the other; a straight, longitudinal slot in the movable member; an oblique slot in said. member; a drive shalt; a driven shalt; means on the drive shalt extending into the straight slot of tbe aforementioned member lor rotating said member with the drive shalt and permitting longitudinal movement of said member relative to said shaft; means on the driven shaft extending into the oblique slot ot said member drivingly connecting said member with said driven shaft; and engine suction responsive means for moving sai member longitudinally whereby its conne/otion With the oblique slot off said member will rotate the driven shaft relative to the drive shalt.

ln testimony Whereoie ll hereto aiix my signature. 

